MIAMI – Wildlife officials are investigating an online video that shows a man jumping on two manatees.
The video shows a man doing a cannonball on top of what appears to be a manatee and a young calf swimming near a dock in a residential area somewhere in Florida. A voice is heard saying, “Should I do it? Let’s do it. Jump, jump, jump.”
According to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, the video was shot more than a year and a half ago. The agency is investigating possible violations of the Endangered Species Act.
Anyone who violates the act’s provision against harassing, harming, pursuing, hunting or killing a protected species can face up to $100,000 in fines, up to a year in prison, or both.
Manatees are protected by both state and federal laws.